Polyarylether ketones are known in the art. However, they are often difficult to process due to their high viscosities even at elevated temperatures. The manufacture of composites, rotomolding, or resin transfer molding typically involve the transfer of a resinous material from a heated vessel into a mold. In order to facilitate the transfer of resin, the resinous material must be maintained at a relatively low viscosity. Cyclic oligomers, and specifically cyclic polyarylether ketones, having lower molecular weights would, as a result, have a lower viscosity.
Macrocyclic oligomer compositions are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,948 discloses high molecular weight (15,000 or above) cyclic polycarbonates which may be prepared from a bisphenol bischloroformate in the presence of triethylamine as a catalyst. However, this cyclic product is a final polymer which cannot conveniently be used as an intermediate for the production of linear polycarbonates because of its high viscosity.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,644,053 and 4,727,134 disclose cyclic polycarbonate oligomers which are capable of conversion to high molecular weight linear homo- and copolycarbonates under reactive processing conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,132 discloses cyclic polyarylates of similar molecular structure, capable of being formed from a wide variety of organic dihydroxy compounds.
Therefore, the present invention provides in high yields a composition of macrocyclic aryl ether ketones having low viscosity and consequently the above mentioned processing advantages, readily convertible by relatively simple means to linear polymers having a wide range of applications.